


Hope, Maybe

by spookyawards_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-09-30
Updated: 2003-09-30
Packaged: 2019-04-27 05:46:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14418975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookyawards_archivist/pseuds/spookyawards_archivist
Summary: The events of a day one year after William was given up for adoption.





	Hope, Maybe

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Spooky Awards](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Spooky_Awards), and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2018. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [SpookyAwards' collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/spookyawards/profile).

 

Hope, Maybe

## Hope, Maybe

### by Christine Leigh

Title: Hope, Maybe  
Author: Christine Leigh   


Rating: PG   
Category: MSR   
Spoilers: "William." 

Summary: The events of a day one year after William was given up for adoption. 

Archiving: If you would like to archive anywhere, I'd appreciate a quick note first. 

Disclaimer: All characters are the products of Chris Carter. They also belong to Ten-Thirteen Productions and the Fox Network. No copyright infringement intended. 

Hope, Maybe  
By Christine Leigh 

They are next. Mulder takes Scully's hand and squeezes it, and when he starts to let go, she doesn't let him. He feels her apprehension, but then catches her eye and gives her a small smile. He wants to do this. It's logical and it's right, and yet, still, they are both feeling somewhat strange at this point in their lives in taking this step. They'd been together in one way or another for so many years, and neither, if they were to be honest, for most of that time had ever felt this step necessary. Of course, things change, and inevitably so when a child enters the picture, so now they're here. It's simple really, and yet it's scary. A funny word to use in light of the events of the last few years, but there it is. It's scary. He loves her to death, though, and that's all that matters. This is the right thing to do. 

Scully knows it's odd to be here today, but she's glad that they are, if also slightly nervous. She looks down at the nosegay that Mulder had surprised her with before they had left to come here. It is made of lavendercolored roses and forget-me-nots and seeing it  
had moved her to tears, actually. It was so him to do something like that. So very him. He'd wanted to give her something he'd said, when handing her the box. She'd told him that he'd given her everything she could possibly want, but then had cried upon seeing the pretty little bouquet. She loves him like crazy. That's right. Like crazy. They rise and enter the judge's chamber. 

Ten minutes later, and it's a done deal. There was nothing fancy about the ceremony, just the simple exchanging of words and bands. Scully wishes she could tell her mother. She would be so happy, and yes, relieved. Mulder, too, wishes that his parents were alive and able to know that he'd surmounted the horrific details of his past to arrive at this place in life with this woman next to him. He wants to believe that they would be happy for him. He whispers in Scully's ear as they walk along the corridor to the building's exit about the best part of the day, which is yet to come. She smiles and even blushes a little, and anyone seeing them would never guess that the honeymoon had been underway a good three years already. What a pair they are. 

* * *

They lay in each other's arms in the dark of the bedroom, their bodies and minds exhausted. If it wasn't for one thing, Scully thinks she probably could sleep for the next two days. Mulder has been fading in and out for a few minutes, and his eyes are closed right now. But she needs to mark this moment on this day. She isn't sure what she will do, though, and so remains motionless in the arms that have carried her for so long. 

One year ago her heart had shattered and today was a step toward rebuilding it. They don't yet know how they will get William back, but they will. They have to keep believing that; there aren't any other options. So, today they had made a down payment on the hope they required to keep on believing. They'd been perfectly honest with each other on all matters pertaining to today, and both had acknowledged that if not for the little boy, who, each day he was gone took up a bigger space in their hearts, they probably would not have chosen to marry. But now that they have, and even without anyone to tell, or to toss a bouquet or garter to, they are behaving quite conventionally, and have dared to be happy in the face of their impossible lives. Most important of all, though, they are one step closer in readying themselves for the life they will one day share with their son. They rarely talk about him, but they think about him always. 

It had been a warmish day, but the night will be cool, and Scully gets up and crosses to the window, opening it wide. There is a breeze, and she wants to feel it. She closes her eyes and just stands there feeling and listening to the night. She is naked and the air on her skin feels wonderful. The sound of Mulder's soft breathing mingles with the other  
sensations that are washing over her, and soon she is going inside herself. She needs to hear her little boy tonight and believes that she will if she just tries hard enough. It takes a few minutes, but then he's there, and laughing his sweet, special William laugh, and trying to sing, or at least that's what she thinks it is. Yes, that's it. They'd only just started to do that together, mostly in the car, right before. She should cry, but that isn't happening, so she just listens. He's still laughing, but it's softer now. Another minute and she won't hear him anymore, but how wonderful it is while it lasts. She thinks that perhaps next year she will hold him in her arms. 

He is gone now. 

Scully then opens her eyes and her gaze wanders to her flowers that are sitting on the dresser. She'd meant to put them in water when they'd returned home, but had been otherwise consumed. She removes a sprig of forget-me-nots from the nosegay and carefully pulls its tiny blossoms apart. She then drops them on to her upturned palm, extending it out the window and watches the little blue flowers blow away on the breeze. 

She is being dangerously sentimental tonight, she knows, but there is nothing to be done but to go with it. Wherever he is, she believes that William knows they haven't forgotten him. Tomorrow and the next day, and the next, it may be very difficult to believe this, but she will hang on. And when she can't, she will go to Mulder. The only thing that could possibly make any of this worse would be to go through it without him. She isn't sure that she would have survived alone. She goes to the bed and kneels by her husband who is now in a deep slumber. His brow, so often furrowed by day is smooth as glass, and she brushes a finger across it. 

Hope, maybe. Love, certainly. 

End   
  


#### If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Christine Leigh


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